De Proefbrouwerij / Bell's Van Twee
Ingredients and techniques from two different areas come together to produce the beer in this bottle. Van Twee (From Two) is the remarkable result of a collaboration between two breweries know for extreme innovation: Bell’s Brewery of Kalamazoo, MI and De Proef Brouwerij of Lochristi, Belgium. Special emphasis was placed on using ingredients from both Belgium and Michigan in designing this beer. Michigan is renowned for producing sour, dark cherries of superior quality, and a significant quantity of cherry juice was added to the brew. Deep hued Belgian candi sugar adds to the complex flavor of the beer. The sugar used for bottle conditioning came from native Michigan sugar beets. A finishing fermentation with vinous Brettanomyces strain of yeast complements the unique New Zealand hop variety, Nelson Sauvin. The result is broadly a cherry infused ’mash-up’ of the porter and dubbel styles, brewed to an original gravity of 1.072 and fermented with multiple strains of yeast. Each ingredient used brings a subtle hint of a varied fruit such as plum/prune from the roasted malts; gooseberry/grape from the hops; pear/banana from the yeast and specialty sugar; and of course cherry. These flavors are wrapped in a rich and complex roasted malt base that imparts flavors reminiscent of chocolate and coffee--much like the famous filled chocolates of Belgium. We hope you enjoy drinking this beer as much as we enjoyed making it for you.
3.7
259 reviews
Hijfte, Belgium
Community reviews
This bottled brew from a bottle shop poured a small sized head of foamy light brown colored bubbles that were mostly diminishing and left behind a softly carbonated opaque dark brown colored body. The aroma was brown malt musty and dark malt. The mouth feel was tingly at the start and at the finish. The mild flavor contained notes of brown malt and cherry. A decent one that I would consider drinking again.
Bottle. Dark brown with tan head. Nose/taste of chocolate, cherry juice, toasted grain, plum, dark berry, candi sugar and dry wood. Finishes with hints of tart cherry pit dipped in chocolate. Medium body.
Corked well aged 750ml bottle and served in my NB Worthy glass: A interesting black film on the bottom of the cork and rim of the bottle makes me worried but it seemed to pour okay. Deep brown russet hue with some reddish highlights topped by a small fading beige head that left spotty lace. The aroma has notes of chocolate covered sour cherries along with a light roast and bready malt notes. Slight winy acidic vapour with little to no brett character even after the time aging. Slight cardboardy oxidation but nothing overly bad. Some strange sugary notes and even a bit of band-aid as it warms. The taste is semi-sweet and soured with a nice restrained balance but there is little outstanding characteristics other than the fruity tones. The hybrid nature of this brew is quite apparent on the palate... a little Belgian Ale, A little porter-ish, very fruity and a little sour. A hodge podge of parts that is better than the whole. I really wished for more brett action here to give the sourness more kick and depth. Also I tad disappointed with how much sweetness does remain. The mouth feel is tad slick and chewy but also a bit under-carbonated for my tastes.
Outside some cardboardy notes it is like this beer has not aged at all. The yeasties seemed to doing nothing to advance this beer or add further depth or complexity. In the end it is a muddle brew that still remained drinkable.
Bottle ages a couple of years or so.
Deep red-brown pour with a tan head. Plenty of chocolate and cherry -- unsurprisingly -- on the almost overpowering aroma and in the flavor alike. The comparison to cherry cordials is hard to resist. Hops are quite oxidized in the aroma and the same follows in the flavor. Sweet, alcohol prevalent. Oaky flavors with unmistakable funk from the Brettanomyces, but much sweeter than any brett-laden beer I’ve had before. Desserty, but easy enough to drink.
It recalls that other Micihgan beer, the much-sought-after Kuhnhenn raspberry eisbock.
A dark amber color with a little extra dose of brown. Sort of oxidized at this point, but nice cherry and caramel aromas. A bit of brown sugar and toffee, maybe a slight roast. Too much cardboard for my tastes, though. The flavor is similarly old and oxidized. Prunes, plums, and cherries give a decent fruit character and there is a lot of sugary sweetness to it as well. Still can’t quite escape the cardboard.
Chocolate, cherry, coffee, banana bread, grape, pancakes and roasted malt. Hints of brandy. Elegant concoction from two wizard brewers. Nice, warming finish that lingers. I expected more tartness from the brett. Reminds me of Ommegang Seduction.
750ml bottle in Ommegang glass. Pours dark brown and mostly opaque. Thick foamy tan head dissipates slowly and laces the sides. Aroma is inviting, not overtly "Belgian yeast-y", a little hint of the cherry. Taste is definitely a bit on the sour side. Not overtly "I sucked a lemon" sour but it’s definitely there, a lack of (possibly) expected Belgian malty sweetness, and a sour aftertaste. Not bad, but not something I am really enjoying.
toasty aroma with dark fruit and chocolate and hay and a slight funk. a bit of alcohol and more cherry as it warms. low carbonation and silky but also a bit gritty. looks like coke with dark beige foamy head. mellow sweetness and slightly dark with alcohol warmth. a delicious treat.
In short: A mix of sweet chocolaty malts and sweet cherries. Sounds better than it tastes. Good but not very good.
How: Bottle 750ml. Combination of notes from a fresh bottle shared at a tasting and a bottle I drank with a over one year of age on it
The look: Very dark brown body topped by a small beige head
In long: Nose is chocolaty, maraschino cherries, nutty toastiness… smells like a smashed Cherry Blossom™. Taste is a strong mix of creamy chocolate cake, oaky sourness, uber-sweet maraschino cherries, light notes of vanilla, pineapples-like fruitiness. My notes from a fresh bottles say the flavors were not very cohesive and it felt like if Van Twee was a few few beers mixed together. My aged bottle showed a better cohesiveness of the various flavor elements but the refreshing fruitiness (cherries and pineapples) were more subdued and I was bothered by a high sweetness sensation that I didn’t note with a fresh bottle. I didn’t find it any better now than when it was fresh, it is just a bit different and I haven’t changed my score from my paper notes. Everyday I try drink fresh and aged beers and get surprising results and then enter ratings on ratebeer. Forest Gump was right, life is like a box chocolate, in that I don’t have a box of chocolate.
Bottle cork shows a stamp that says Bells 01. Pours dark brown black with a nice tight soapy khaki head that dissipates to a foamy thin film and spotty lacing. Aroma is cherries and wood with a chocolate malt and some raisins. Taste is spice cherries and wood with a chocolate malt and raisins. Palate is full well carbonated and chalky dry finish. Really awesome brew with me wanting more as it warms. Want to pick up another bottle for sure!
Poured this fresh out of the fridge and a little cold. Got a huge, foamy, very frothy, textured light tan head that slowly settled and an amazing amount of very fine lace that totally enclosed the glass. Color is an almost opaque black brown except in the very thinnest part of the glass it seems to be a clear mahoganey. Flavor’s similar in many ways to nose, but not nearly as good. At first it starts out wonderful with tart cherry flavored dark malt, but then there’s a metallic flavor and some other off tastes. Body is good and carbonation started out good but then quickly goes kind of flat. Finish is like flavor ( and, I walked away from the beer for a while, which rounded & smoothed it out, plus seems to have eliminated the metallic part), understated, although heavier in bitterness than anything else. Not bad, not a hug fan. Proly good to cook with.
Very dark brown with a small, nicely lacing, beige head that fades to a ring quickly. Aroma of cherries, other fruit including sour apple and raisin, chocolate, spice and a little alcohol and sugar. Taste is sweet and sour fruit and sweet malt with some spice and a mild bitterness at the end. The body is medium-full, with very mild carbonation and a substantial dryness.
Bottle. Moderate malt notes of dark bread and milk chocolate, perfume and cooked orange for the hops, light soap for the yeast, with fig, dried cherry, alspice and boozy-alcohol in the background. Head is small, creamy with larger bubbles, light brown with good lacing and is mostly diminshing. Color is dark brown. Flavor starts moderately sweet and lightly acidic, then finishes lightly bittersweet and acidic. Palate is on the fuller side of medium, oily with a soft carbonation. There is a whole lot of of everything that belongs in a Belgian Strong Ale in this one. Great bold aromas and flavors that play nicely with each other.
(bottle, says Bell 01 on the cork, not sure if that’s indicative of the batch) Pours black with some ruby highlights on the bottom of the glass and a large tan head that leaves behind good lacing. Aroma is pretty interesting with plenty of cherry showing up, chocolate intertwined, and a pleasant base of funk with spikes of pineapple and mint. Brett is certainly present here, and it’s matching up well with the chocolate and cherry. I do get some banana too, as it pops in from time to time between the more dominant cherry, funk, and chocolate. It actually matches up quite well with the chocolate. I also get a smell of pancake batter, which just ratchets up the complexity. Gooseberry is a good call in the description, as it’s certainly here in spades with more warming. Further warming yields some soy sauce. This is a really unique beer, and one of the more aromatically complex that I’ve drank in awhile.
Flavor is a little more straightforward, but it’s definitely pleasant, with plenty of tart cherry perfectly counterbalanced by a smooth chocolate flavor followed by even roasted malt and light roasted coffee. There’s a decent amount of earthy and cheesy funk on the finish, and it fits in well with the roasted malt. Lingering cherry skin tartness on the finish as well that is synced with light hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium and carbonation is quite lively. Overall this was a surprisingly good beer that is fit for sipping and contemplating.
Draft at Brass Tap. Pours a dark brown witha slight reddish hue around the edges. Sour cherry and candied sugar in the aroma and flavor with some lingering Belgian yeast notes. Sort of a mix between an Abbey and a Blemish red.
750 mL bottle shared at the July Santa Cruz tasting. Pours a medium brown color with an ecru head. Aroma of soy, molasses, chalky chocolate, dark fruits. Flavor is cheap chocolate and sweet cherries, light coffee roastiness, low on brett influence, some assorted dark fruit accents, soy sauce. Kind of muddled and sweet. I’d like to revisit this after the brett gets settled in and maybe cleans it up a bit.
bottle 9/16/10.
dark brown with some reddish tints and a soft frilly tannish head.
it smells and tastes of cherries, tobacco, vanilla, leather, slate, choco, cocoa butter, roast and brown sugar. the funk is mild and well integrated. light sourness.
medium body soft carbonation. nice.8/4/8/4/16
Pours a fluffy, lacing tan head with a deep brown body. Aromas of roasted and tart. Flavors of candi sugar, roasted malt, tart cherry. Finish is a little dry with a lasting tartness.
Sampled at Stone Sourfest 11. Might have been better earlier in the day but after some excellent sours this paled. Poured brown black with a tinge of espresso head. Musty smelling and leathery tasting.
Reviewed from notes. Picked up at Rick’s in Alexandria.
Pours a fairly-dark brown color with perhaps a bit of crimson in there. The head is tan with some fairly good retention and lace. The nose is attractive, with some nice notes of dark fruits, darker malt, cherries, and a bit of yeast. The taste is similar and melds everything together quite well. Good feel and body; this is much better than the other collaboration versions that I’ve encountered.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 11-09-2010
One of the best cherry beers out there, The fruity flavors of the begian yeasts combine very nicely to the delicate and complex cherry flavors throughout. Very well made
Bottle shared by dicks in some beerz. Pours a hazy bruin body with an off white head with okay pillow retention. Birch and root beer like spices, odd yeast tones. Chocolate and caramel notes, brown sugar in the raw, cherry chewy caramel and toffee notes. Nutty chewy palate with a hint of coffee. Interesting brew its really a portfolio of spices and malts.
A dark brown ale with a thin brown head. Aroma of dark fruits, molasses, cherry blossoms, wet dough. In mouth, loads of dark cherries, molasses, light coffee, some bizarre lactic notes. Tasted March 12 2011 with Montreal crew.
Bouteille de 750 ml, avec bouchon de liège, partagée lors d’une dégustation Ratebeer Montréal. Arôme: Odeur de petits fruits avec une pointe de cacao. Apparence: La couleur est brune opaque. Présence d’un moyen col beige mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût d’épices et de chocolat avec une pointe de cerises. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement onctueuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Arrière goût sucré. (Rating #3565)
Serving: 750 ml. bottle from Beer Run. It pours a somewhat cloud, reddish brown color with a nice sized tan head. The nose is a bit tangy with notes of cherry, cocoa powder, some vinousness, leather, and horse blanket. Intriguing. The flavor is a nice mix of malt and sour characteristics. The lightly sour cherries are there with a nice touch of chocolate, a bit of grape vine, roasted malt, and leather. Rather tasty I must say. Medium bodied with above average carbonation leading to a medium, layered finish. I really enjoyed this brew and would love to try it again.
Bottle pours deep brown with a khaki head. Aroma shows notes of roasted malt, cocoa powder, sour cherries, and leather. Flavor shows the same with additional notes of oak, plums, and delhi dates. Overall
body is moderate, soft, and slightly tart with a touch of funk.
Rated 2/3/2010 (Bottle): Pours a very dark brown color body, with a huge foamy head, very lasting, good lacing, dark tan in color. Strong funky sour aroma, some sweetness too. Dark fruit and cherries. Some wild notes too. Not super strong though. Roasted taste, watery, porter-like. Some fruitiness, but very muted. Some funkiness. Sour. Letting warm a bit. Chocolate notes. Not as good with spicy kung pao.
Sampled at richmond beer dig 2011. Clear brown pour with good tan head. Sticky lacing. Slightly tart cherry flavor and overall pretty tasty stuff.
Aroma:Sour cherries and acrid harshness.
Appearance:Brown and opaque. Nice tan head with amazing retention.
Taste:The foretaste of this one is a bright sour cherry flavor. In the midtaste, there are some metallic off flavors. This persists through the aftertaste. After a few sips, this off flavor fades a bit, but not completely.
Palate:Medium body with lots of sour astringency.
Overall:This is a good sour cherry Belgian beer, although I’m not sure spending a year in my cellar improved it at all.
(bottle - corked & caged 750 ml) Murky copper pour with a thick tan head. Sweet and tart aroma. Definitely get a lot of cherry and cocoa notes with some dark and earthy hints near the end. Sweet chocolate and spice starts the flavor with a beautiful cherry middle and a light chocolate and yeast finish. Tons of different fruits but not as tart as I thought. Smooth.